The plunge Wednesday of an uncontrolled E/A-18G Growler into the San Diego Bay channel between Coronado and Shelter Island ended a 71-year span of no water mishaps since flights from surrounding fields began 114 years ago at North Island.

Navy officials said on Friday that it might take up to two weeks to complete the recovery operation. In a statement, officials asked that public to “stay clear of floating cranes, barges and other recovery vessels in the area and avoid interfering with ongoing recovery efforts.”

An ABC 10News crew was at the scene reporting on another story when they saw what appeared to be a military aircraft crash into the water.

Navy divers recovered the first pieces of an EA-18G Growler that crashed in the San Diego Bay last week, the sea service announced this week. The release did not specify what parts of the aircraft the Mobile Diving and Salvage Company 3-8 recovered.

Navy divers and salvage crews have begun recovering pieces of the jet that went down near Shelter Island. The operation could take as long as two weeks to complete.

A military jet crashed into Bay near Shelter Island on Wednesday, but the two crew members aboard were rescued, authorities said.

As efforts to recover the crashed military plane in San Diego Bay continue, authorities have issued a public notice to stay away from the wreckage that is still in the water off of Shelter Island and any debris that might wash up.